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Can Children Do Philosophy?
Author(s) -
Murris Karin
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9752.00172
Subject(s) - philosophy for children , philosophy education , epistemology , philosophy of education , philosophy of sport , philosophy of computer science , western philosophy , modern philosophy , philosophy , social philosophy , sociology , psychology , social science , higher education , law , political science , social relation
Some philosophers claim that young children cannot do philosophy. This paper examines some of those claims, and puts forward arguments against them. Our beliefs that children cannot do philosophy are based on philosophical assumptions about children, their thinking and about philosophy. Many of those assumptions remain unquestioned by critics of Philosophy with Children. My conclusion is that the idea that very young children can do philosophy has not only significant consequences for how we should educate young children, but also for how adults should do philosophy; and that further research is urgently needed.